Bis-chalcones and flavones: synthesis and antimicrobial activity.

A series of bis-chalcones (3a-g) and their flavones derivatives (4a-g) were synthesized and evaluated for their antimicrobial activity. Bis-chalcones were prepared by condensing 1,1'-(4,6-dihydroxy-1,3-phenylene)diethanone (2) with appropriate aryl aldehydes following Claisen-Schmidt reaction conditions. Oxidative cyclization of bis-chalcones (3a-g) in DMSO in the presence of iodine furnished flavones (4a-g). The synthesized compounds were evaluated for their antibacterial and antifungal actions against some selected microbes. The results of antimicrobial evaluation showed that some of the synthesized compounds were good in their antibacterial and antifungal actions.